Forest Grumps - an alternative ending
by Comtesse-Dynamite
Summary: This is an alternative ending to the episode "Forest Grumps" from Season 3. I don't know why I wrote this story, it's just a silly idea. Rocketshipping and Pokeshipping hints.


**Attention:** Since English is not my mothertongue you might find some spelling mistakes or syntax errors. I apologize in advance. My mothertongue is Swiss-German so I normally imagine a sentence in German and try to translate it as well as possible into English, sometimes there is a lack of vocabulary or I don't find a match or the appropriate idiom but I want to improve my English and become a better writer. Another thing I want to make clear is that I use „..." to introduce direct speech! „ are not commas but the German quotation marks, just to avoid confusion.

 **Forest Grumps – an alternative ending**

Ash, Brock and Jessie were running away from the angry Ursarings, looking out for an escape route. At the same time James, Misty and Meowth took to their heels trying to flee from the furious Pokémon. They screamed and shouted, the Ursarings following closely behind them. Suddenly their paths crossed.

„Misty!", Ash exclaimed in relief.

„Hey look, it's Ash", Misty smiled all over her face, and for a short moment she forgot that crazed Pokémon were in hot pursuit of her.

„James!", Jessie called his name, she would have never thought it possible but she was more than happy to see her lavender-haired companion.

„Jessie! You're alive and unscathed. I was starting to get worried", he said.

„I thought you didn't worry about Jessie", Misty asked, lifting an eyebrow.

James blushed, this kid had to poke her nose in everything.

„Guys, just run! The Ursarings will soon catch up with us", Meowth cawed, it was completely out of breath.

The groups met in the middle of the road.

„There's no time to rest! We need to get out of the forest", Ash decided to take the lead. He considered himself a cool head in heated situations. Ash looked in all directions, then he spotted a supsension bridge.

„Follow me!", he grabbed Misty by the hand, dragging her to their only possibility of escape.

Brock followed the same line. Jessie and James were surrounded by the Ursarings. Jessie clinged to his friend, sheltering. James fell to his knees, holding his hand protectively above Jessie. Meowth barged in between.

„We're lost", it noticed but Brock came to the rescue of Team Rocket. He helped them to get out of the trampling herd.

„Thank you", James murmured, he knew that Brock was a kind-hearted human being and felt guilty for trying to steal his Pokémon on a daily basis but he was just pursuing his job and this included being rude and unabashed, even though James didn't always like to represent the evil force.

„Quick! Let's cross the bridge", Ash ordered.

„It looks a little rickety", Jessie observed.

„We have no other choice, walk!", Ash pushed her forward, James would have loved to smack this cheeky twerp, no one shall boss around and put Jessie at risk, but as so often he was too much of a coward to intervene. Jessie defended herself, she let Ash go ahead.

„Come on, let's go!", Meowth yelled.

They had only made some steps when the bridge started to swing and disassemble into its individual parts. The Ursarings cut the ropes, and thus its last support.

Ash, his friends and Team Rocket managed to hold on. The young Pokemon trainer was at the very top, he attempted to whitstand the weight of four people.

„You're too heavy, I can't hold on", James moaned.

„Don't you even think about letting go", Misty threatened. „After all, you don't want Jessie to get injured, you don't know if she would survive this fall. You care for her, admit it! I can tell from your facial expression ", the girl added.

„Never!", James shook his head. „Jessie can look after herself, she doesn't need me", he yelled down to Misty.

„Shut up!", Jessie commanded. She was the last in the row, hanging on the girl's leg.

„What about the constant hugging and touching during your mottos? What about the time at Maiden's Peak? Did you forget that Jessie stood up for you? You know what her exact words were: Hey girl, you can't take him! You haven't got a ghost of a chance! You were touched by her action, admit it! Or, or what about the shipwreck? You were petrified by fear, you didn't want her to abandon you. Yes, she slapped you but then she promised you that she wouldn't leave you behind. I'm not blind. Even an Aipom realizes that there is more between you and Jessie", Misty explained.

„This is not the right moment to bring up the obvious. We all know that James has feelings for Jessie, I mean the way he looks at her, they're acting love-love all the time", Brock cried out.

„My words", Meowth put its oar in.

„I hate to interrupt your hen party but we need to find a way to get to the other side", Ash exclaimed.

„Stop sticking your bib in private matters", Jessie was boiling with rage and terrified. She noticed that her hands were sliding off Misty's shoe.

„Hurry up! Why don't we use our Pokémon to help us?", Brock suggested.

„Okay", Ash pulled the pokeballs out of his trousers.

„Go, Chikorita, Bulbasaur!" 

„Rush to help, Victreebel", James threw his pokeball into the air, but as so often Victreebel suck in his head.

„We need more, I choose you, Onyx", Brock shouted.

„Arbok, get ready", Jessie ordered.

Ash gave them proper instructions and together the Pokemon managed to pull their trainers up by using vine whip. It was just in the nick of time, the bridge broke into pieces, what remained of it fell into the torrent river.

Misty felt solid ground below her. She was still holding her Togepi, running over to Ash.

„You did it! You're not the loggerhead I thought you were", she laughed and hugged her friend almost squashing him. Ash endured her outburst of joy.

Jessie was lying on the floor, only after some time she realized that they had survived this adventure. She jumped up and wrapped her arms around James.

„The Ursarings are gone and Team Rocket is back together", she was boisterous and cocky to such an extent that she pressed a thick kiss on James' lips. James put his hands on the side of her face and returned the gesture.

„EW!", Ash exlaimed. „That's disgusting!"

James didn't care about the audience.

‚Alright, I admit it. I lied about my feelings for Jessie but I didn't want to make it public. Anyways, she's kissing me right now, so she doesn't find me repulsive', he thought.

Misty nudged Ash with her elbow. „Someone owes me 10 Poké-Dollars", she remarked.

„What? I didn't bet on their relationship-status", Ash set the record straight.

Jessie broke free from their embrace, turning as red as a beetroot.

„What are you gawking at us, twerps!", she flashed her eyes at the kids.

„In all seriousness, are you two dating or not?", Misty wondered.

Both, Jessie and James were speechless and more than embarrassed.

„The thing is this: James is so uptight because he's suffering from a trauma thanks to his fiancee. He can't commit to a genuine relationship, Jessie would like to go out with this guy, cuddle, fondle, canoodle... but they're both too stubborn to admit their true feelings and I'm just hear observing Jessie's unsuccessful approaches and James vehemently refusing to accept his sentiments. It's a torture to know that they love each other but they don't seem to get it done. You should see them in private, they're sleeping next to each other, feeding each other, paying each other compliments, cooking together, dancing together, they're the perfect couple but it's hopeless, James even sings Jessie to sleep...", Meowth revealed.

Jessie hit the cat Pokémon on the head before he could disclose more secrets.  
She and James turned crimson and the kids were slightly all in a fluster.

„Maybe we should forget about the last couple of minutes, too much information", Misty scratched her head.

„What do you propose?", Brock asked.

„Let's pretend that this conversation has never taken place. Pikachu Thunder Punch, I think it's time for us to blast off", Jessie mumbled.

„Alright then", Ash got ready to fight.

„You want me to issue an order or...?", Ash didn't know how to react.

„Yes, yes, why not", Jessie and James answered simultaneously.

„Ehh from here or do you want to move closer?"

„Just do it, twerp!", Jessie got impatient, shuffling her feet.

„Okay then, Pikachu, Thunder Punch!"

Team Rocket flew in a high arc out of the exclusion area.

„That was cringe-making", Jessie sighed.

James grinned at her mischievously.

„You like me, admit it!"

„The kiss was a gaffe", she replied.

„Yes, and the occasional hugs were pure coincidence", he kept on harping on the matter.

„You can't resist me", James boasted.

„Here we go again", Meowth rolled its eyes.

TO BE CONTINUED...


End file.
